How to Get to Cape Town and Get Around

Cape Town is easy to navigate once you know one important quirk: public transport works well on a few specific corridors, and poorly everywhere else. Most visitors combine ride apps and buses in town with a hire car for two or three days of exploring.

From Cape Town International Airport (CPT)

The airport lies about 20 km east of the City Bowl along the N2 motorway, a 20 to 35 minute drive outside rush hour. Note that the MyCiTi airport bus (Route A01) has been suspended since late 2022, even though the old station building still stands outside the terminal, and there is no airport train. Your options are:

• Uber or Bolt: reliable, reasonably priced and widely used. Follow the signs inside the terminal to the designated ride-hailing pick-up zone on the ground floor of the parkade.
• Pre-booked transfer or hotel shuttle: the easiest choice after an overnight flight or for families with luggage.
• Official metered taxis: use only the authorised Touch-Down taxi desk at arrivals, never drivers who approach you in the hall.
• Car hire: all major rental desks sit in the building opposite the terminal, connected by a pedestrian subway.

Do you need to rent a car?

Not for the City Bowl, the V&A Waterfront or Camps Bay, where parking is tight and Uber is cheap. Renting a car makes a huge difference for the Cape Peninsula loop, Boulders Beach, Constantia and the Winelands. South Africans drive on the left, road surfaces are excellent, and an automatic is easier on the steep mountain passes.

MyCiTi buses and the Southern Line train

Inside the City Bowl and along the Atlantic Seaboard to Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay, the blue MyCiTi buses are clean, safe and frequent. You tap in and out with a contactless bank card or a MyConnect card bought at major stations. For Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, the modernised blue PRASA Southern Line train runs direct on weekdays from Cape Town Station right along the False Bay rocks to Simon's Town; ride it during daylight hours and sit on the left heading south for the sea views.

Entry rules and the South African ETA

Many passport holders can visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days, while others apply online through the Department of Home Affairs Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system before flying. Your passport must have at least two completely blank visa pages (endorsement pages do not count) and 30 days' validity beyond your departure date; airlines check this strictly at boarding. Check the official Department of Home Affairs website for your nationality well ahead of travel.